


The Hero

by starsandsupernovae



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: #BuckyNat Week, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-22
Updated: 2017-03-22
Packaged: 2018-10-08 22:36:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10397712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starsandsupernovae/pseuds/starsandsupernovae
Summary: He was just trying to get a cup of coffee but maybe he shouldn't have gone out quite so soon





	

**Author's Note:**

> My first posted buckynat fic in honor of BuckyNat week!

James walked into the kitchen in the morning and scowled at the counter. He hated having to ask other people for help with modern technology but he also really needed coffee.

“Just tell it what you want.”

James whipped around surprised that anyone could sneak up to him without him hearing to see Natasha leaning against the table. She was in a tank top and jeans an her normally perfect hair was pulled into a messy braid. As he looked her up and down so swiftly it was as though he hadn't looked something compelled him to look again, almost stare at the perfect woman in front of him.

“Tell what?” He asked her.

“The coffee machine. Just tell it what you want within reason of a coffee machine and it'll make it. It's not like back in the old days when we had to do all the work ourselves.” She smiled, the tips of her scarlet lips curling up to let out a small laugh.

“Just black coffee.” James told the machine trying to distract himself. He turned back to Natasha then. 

“Thank you. It's just weird, you know, all the new technology. I know the big things, public transportation, weaponry whatever but-” he shrugged “not any of the day to day living things.”

“Well if it's any comfort, even normal people would be confused dealing with all of Tony’s things. But if you need any more help just ask.”

James smiled. Even while a part of him was yelling, screaming at him 'stay away! Do not trust! Do not trust! He couldn't help liking Natasha. And maybe even more than liking.

“I will.”

Her smile grew awakening small butterflies in his stomach. He turned away to the machine to withdraw his cup but grabbed it too fast and to his horror, James Buchanan Barnes, Winter Soldier, assassin extraordinaire spilled his coffee all over the floor. He quickly bent down to retrieve the cup and looked around for something he could use to clean it up.

“Oh leave it.” Natasha told him. “You don’t want plain black coffee from here anyways. I know of a good place a couple of blocks away if you want to go there.”  
He looked up at her a small grin creeping across his lips. 

“Okay then. Let’s go to this place. And you can fill me in on some more of all this modern tech.”

\--------

Natasha walked along with James to the cafe wondering at herself. This was generally just her place, a place which even if the others knew about, they knew enough not to infringe upon it. But there was something about James, when she looked at him and saw how hard he was trying how he was so desperately trying to adapt to his new world. And even if he didn't seem to be remembering her she remembered him. Her american soldier. She yanked her mind out of the past. That was one place she had no wish to return to. They reached the cafe and James reached for the door ahead of her, holding it open.

"Thanks." she said a note of surprise coloring her tone.

"No problem." 

They walked up to the counter where an older teenager stood taking people's orders.

"Hey, Natasha!" she smiled "Iced caramel macchiato?"

Natasha smiled. "Two of them. One for me and one for James here."

The girl's eyes widened as she took in who was standing in front of her. James stepped back and turned to Natasha 

"Maybe we should just leave. I'll try the whatever it is anoth-"

"Oh my god can I get you're autograph?!" The girl cut in.

"Wha- what?"

"You're James Buchanan Barnes right? The super cool russian one?!"

Natasha folded her arms as looks of amusement and faint offense fought for dominance on her face. James took the pen from the girl's hand but paused before putting it to the paper she was offering.

"Are you sure it's my autograph you want? James Bucky Barnes?"

"The Winter Soldier?!" she looked at him strangely. "Of course. You're a superhero!"

He signed the paper and returned it to her, looked as though he was about to say something but he just returned the paper to her. She got them their drinks and they walked to a small table in the corner. James took a tentative sip of his drink.

"So how's twenty first century caffeinated drinks?" Natasha asked. He looked slightly lost as though he had just woken from a dream to find himself in a foreign country. James was silent for a long moment in which she thought she could hear her heart speed up for him waiting for his answer.

"I'm not a hero." His answer was quiet so silent she could barely hear it.

"What?" 

"I'm not a superhero, Natasha!" It came out forcefully much louder then before and the small part of Natasha that was still thinking rationally was grateful that the cafe was silent. The rest of her was breaking for him for the person he couldn't see he was.  
"I hurt so many people. I killed so many people. I'm a monster. I shouldn't have people asking for my autograph. It was a mistake to think I could just come back to life. I shouldn't be here"

She reached across the table and took his hand.

"Look at me, James, okay. Just look at me a second."

He lifted his eyes to meet hers and the tortured look in them cut through her like a knife.

"You are a hero, James. The person back in Russia, that Winter Soldier." She shook her head sadly. "He wasn't you. He was someone they made. And they made him terrible, they made him a monster. But you aren't him!. And James-" She paused unsure what to say next. "People want you here. I want you here. Maybe I don't know who you really are now. Maybe we have to relearn each other. But I'm willing to do that. I want to do that. Because I may not know everything about who you are now but I know you're a hero."


End file.
